August Shark Week Fine Art

I was able to complete three pieces of fine art for the summer Jaws exhibit at Louisville's Block Party Handmade Boutique Gallery. I used paints, paper, photograhs and other collage materials to assemble the pieces. I enjoyed using baseboard for a sign, "Amity - as you know - Means Friendship." The black and while photograph of the Jaws boat, "Orca," had been photoshopped and it has turned into a black and white grainy mounted photograph -- which, now belongs to a happy customer.

August signals Shark Week and Fine Art Exhibit "Jawsome"

Today, August 1 begins the world's annual celebration of its fascination with sharks. We celebrate the shark by "shark month," and soon, Shark Week on television. In a clever move, the co op /gallery and boutique I am represented by, has a new exhibit on, yes, sharks. I have contributed several fine art pieces to the Block Party Handmade Boutique's "Jawsome" gallery showing for the month of August. This was very challenging, creatively, to come up with shark art that would draw a viewer into my paintings and photographs created for the show. Since Jaws in my top favorite movies - I watch it every summer - I was thrilled that Mary Levinsky, proprietor of Block Party would create such a unique theme for an exhibition.

I began with a piece of 24 by 24 inch pine board upon which to paint with a blue grey palette, an upcylced piece of floor trim to make a sign with lettering and then I replicated a photograph of the Orca, the famous boat in Jaws, the movie, from which the shark ultimately met his demise.

I'll soon post some pictures of my artwork hanging in the gallery.

Below, is the poster created for the gallery exhibit. Block Party Handmade Boutique is located in downtown Louisville, 560 S. 4th Street between the historic Brown and Seelbach hotels.

 

Camouflaged Squirrel Goes Nutty for Acorns fine art 16 by 20 inches

Look how lifelike this friendly backyard squirrel is while camouflaged by the barn wood fence! I took this picture after patiently waiting nearly a half hour to have the luxury of a perfect position. This grey squirrel is the subtle focal point of a fine art scrapboard. A Scrapboard is a 3D piece of fine art, my invention, scrapboarding, which includes photos, paints, and other exotic memorabilia assembled with professional glues and UV protection and loving attention to detail. My scrapboards are not duplicated and the concept is nationally and internationally unique.

This 16 x 20 inch piece is made on gallery wrapped canvas and is truly life like with the edges painted to replicate and complement the remainder of the fence. The wagon wheel pictured adds to the fine art as the inquisitive squirrel balances upon the wheel and fence. There are purple, brown and blue glittering embellishments and shimmering paint used in segments of the painted frame surrounding the fine art photograph.

The nut or acorn is artisan crafted and hand blown by  renowned Louisville glass artist Jake Pfeifer. The nut is rendered in complementary gold, purple and brownish hues with an opalescent cast. I frequently use other artists' work in my pieces. The nut is approximately four inches by five inches.

Squirrel Goes Nutty was a fine art showcased fine art piece in a recent gallery exhibition titled Disguises at Louisville's downtown Block Party Handmade Boutique Gallery.

This fascinating medium sized fine art piece is unique, ready to hang and a great conversation piece. For sale at  https://www.etsy.com/listing/196831713/squirrel-goes-nutty-for-acorns?ref=shop_home_active_1

Vintage handmade fine art Christmas cards bring festive greetings

Louisville's South Fourth Street "Miracle on 4th Street" event, open to the public, will be held on Friday, Dec. 13 from 5-9 p.m. at Block Party Handmade Boutique. I will be featuring fine art and holiday greeting cards on sale with a 15 percent discount. Also,  Artist Lisel Long will hold a reception with her paintings. Block Party Handmade Boutique will host a fashion show and an unveiling of a creative window display to round out the evening. Hope to see you at 560 South Fourth Street in Louisville on Friday. Participating shops on South Fourth Street will be open for Christmas celebrations, too.



Thoroughbred racehorses are featured in vintage festive Kentucky greeting cards by Artist Carol Labashosky will be on sale at Block Party Handmade Boutique.

Vintage fine art "Blessed Christmas" greeting cards kick off holiday season

The 2013 Christmas season has inspired me to create new greeting card designs, canvas with "silver and gold" decorations - as Burl Ives would say - and glitter cardstock 3-D tabletop festive Christmas trees. They have been a joy to create as I hunkered down with gold and silver, trinkets and ribbon in my studio and craft room.

These photos are the initial makings of the "Blessed Christmas" vintage holiday greeting card design. Greeting cards and festive canvas scrapboards make wonderful keepsakes for friends, family and associates.

The fine art greeting cards are available in customized script or embellishment at

https://www.etsy.com/listing/171419379/cyber-monday-sale-vintage-blessing?ref=shop_home_active

Louisville Folk Artist Karen Abney showcases Day of the Day handmade art

 

In conjunction with South 4th Street Day of the Dead celebration, Artist Karen Abney has created new art associated with the holiday as seen below.  Abney has been producing, showing and selling her hand-made art pieces for more than 30 years. Her latest body of work, titled “Inner Landscapes” is a conglomeration of her favorite things: found objects, Mexican Milagros and odd containers. Her interest in Mexican Milagros led to this Day of the Dead exhibition.

Fascinated with Mexican culture and particularly the use of iconic religious items in their art,

Karen Abney has crafted these whimsical art pieces that incorporate a “gringo’s” view of the

style and beauty associated with Dios de los Muertos. Each piece is hand stitched and lovingly assembled. I have this piece sitting on my desk.

Her art is on display at Block Party Handmade Boutique, 560 S. 4th Street, Louisville where the co-op artists also have erected ceremonial Dio de los Muertos alters.

 

After placing a photo of my mother on the alter for Friday, Nov. 1, I felt comforted. It is a way to honor her in the present because her gravesite is in Wisconsin where I seldom get to visit. She - Roberta - was a spanish teacher and would have been able to tell me all about the day and its meaning. In this fashion of participating in an actual celebration, I can learn and mum would be pleased

.

 

The story behind the fine art painting, White Chapel's Revenge

By nature, the story of Jack the Ripper evokes chilling thoughts and a shudder. We imagine him, as a stealthy serial killer stalking women up and down the dark streets of Whitechapel. While creating this painting, I imagined how it would be for those troubled souls who fell victim to this fiend, to have had a chance to change their fate and the past, and escape The Ripper.

The colors and eerie movements of the four people - three women and Jack the Ripper - represents an unearthly "switching backthe clock" so the characters could somehow create a different ending, eluding the criminal.

This acrylic artwork I painted is titled White Chapel's Revenge, and it is on display at Block Party Handmade Boutiqu, 560 S. 4th St., Louisville, for the season. The colors are just as they appear here, somewhat of a hellish orange inferno with a dark black and gray contrast.

 The women have alluded The Ripper this time as they go back to rectify the past. From left to right are the three women who will reclaim their lives from Jack the Ripper, who is left behind beneath the street light.

Disguises: Louisville Photo Biennial Reception

Friday, Oct.  18^th

5pm-8pm

Block Party Handmade Boutique (560 South 4^th Street)

Celebrate the changes of fall in photography in the theme of “disguises” from featured local artists Carol Labashosky, Mary Beth Brown, Mickie Winters, Amber Estes Thieneman, and Kristen Warning

Call: Carol Labashosky  502.649.6226
Email: carollabashosky@gmail.com
http://www.barkingdogenterprises.com
facebook: barkingdogenterprises  

 

New Fine Art Scrapboards and Photographs at Block Party Gallery

   New fall fine art pieces are now available at Block Party Handmade Boutique, 560 S. $th Street, Louisville Ky. Upper right is White Chapel's Revenge, Rustic Barn, Trio of Horses, Purple Leaf and Florence Gold.
   More thoroughbred 12 x 14 inch fine art has been added on the table display. On wall are Pin Oak Leaf and Napoli -- Naples, Italy.
   Harvest Gold, an autumn fine art painting is displayed in the Boutique's front window. Harvest Gold is available in prints, too!

Third in a series, James Bond Casino Royale Fine Art Scrapboard on Wood Block

The fine art scrapboard of James Bond motifs, representing the movie, Casino Royale, was handcrafted using a piece of two by four. The wood  was sanded, prepped with a white base coat and garnished with Bond art. It's ready to hang. I found it especially satisfying to make. I worked in layers with many different types of media: archival scrapbook papers, netting, and special ink drawings of the gun and a target's bull's eye.  Email me for purchase or visit Block Party Handmade Boutique, Louisville, Ky.

Creativity lies within us all - a blog post for Block Party Handmade Boutique

Greetings!

To encourage and inspire creativity, I've penned a blog post to share with you. Thank you for your past and continued support of Scrapboarding and Barking Dog Enterprises. Please feel free to forward or post the story.

Creativity lies with us all by Carol Labashosky

Scrapboarding to retail alternative fine art in Louisville's historic 4th Street corridor

Block Party Handmade Boutique is among four new businesses currently under construction on 4th Street, Louisville, Ky.  just north of Chestnut Street between the Brown and Seelbach hotels.

Block Party Handmade Boutique is a collective of artisans who will retail ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, woodworks, photography, crafts/accessories and 3-D fine art Scrapboarding, dubbed an alternative art form by the new retailer. Fine art and many other crafts and artworks will occupy a newly furnished eclectic refurbished store. An attractive glistening window display will attract shoppers to venture into the unique boutique. The store will open by mid-April.

"I'm extremely pleased to be involved in such a creative undertaking to provide downtown shoppers a place to search for all different kinds of art," said Carol Labashosky, creator of 3-D fine art scrapboarding." More than 30 artists have been juried into the new operation, according to Mary Levinsky, entrepreneur and owner of Block Party Handmade Boutique.

For pictures of the construction work in progress, be sure to join the Boutiques' facebook page and Barking Dog Enterprises facebook for updates. You can see the artists' wares at

 http://www.facebook.com/BlockPartyHandmadeBoutique?ref=ts&fref=ts





Join Carol Labashosky's facebook, Barking Dog Enterprises at
http://www.facebook.com/barkingdogenterprises?ref=ts&fref=ts